Awaking stillness at O Ta Soc

These days, with Saigon in the grip of a crippling heat wave that has sent temperatures as high as 38ºC, hiding in the shade of trees and getting lost in nature should be an awesome experience to flee the scorching heat. O Ta Soc, a deserted mountainous area in the Mekong Delta’s An Giang Province is an ideal option.
Tucked in An Ninh Hamlet, Luong Phi Commune, Tri Ton District, O Ta Soc lies on Sa Lon Mount belonging to the That Sot Mountain Range. Dai Mountain is 8,000m long and 580m high. The area was a battlefield covered by small bamboo forests. In the dense groves are some small shelters of Khmer ethnic people.
In the peace and stillness, tourists can enjoy some huge rocks lying under leaf canopies or some ox wagons strolling around. After tramping around Sa Lon Mountain, excursionists can trek up through winding stone steps to explore the O Ta Soc region. On the way up are rivulets flowing through rocks in diverse shapes and colors. The rocky hills are studded with wild fruit trees such as mango, cashew, jackfruit and banana. The stillness is complimented by the songs of birds.
Tourists will meet Khmer farmers on their way back home from the farms with bamboo packs of firewood and wild fruits and vegetables on their backs. O Ta Soc has a lot of caves that were used as military bases. These caves boast many colorful stalactites.
About 1,000m from O Ta Soc, Ma Thien Lanh is a must-see site. Ma Thien Lanh is a legendary hill which drank the blood of many national heroes and soldiers. Here, the Government built many memorials to honor revolutionary martyrs who gave their life for the nation’s freedom.
The hill is endowed with many types of seasoned trees. From the peak, tourists can take a panoramic view of O Ta Soc and the villages below.